To the Class of 2030: At the start of this academic year, you’re trying out something entirely new. Congratulations! We can relate, kind of: with this issue, the Maroon is switching to broadsheet, a larger newspaper format. Still, we must warn you that all the conversation and debate that energize this campus will never fit in these pages, despite their new dimensions. So, dear reader, look up for a moment at the new community welcoming you in! 

You will soon discover that there is more to learn than ever, and not just in the Maroon (though it’s a very good place to start). Beyond classics and calculus, you will learn from the people you meet—in the ice cream line at the dining hall, at a Night Owls lecture, or in the Russian class you signed up for to meet the language requirement. 

You will then learn that you cannot do it all. So it’s a good thing you’ve got four years here to grow, make mistakes, and surprise yourself. Just beware that the quarter system warps time. One day you’ll be skimming a syllabus, and the next you’ll be making the pilgrimage to Kent 107 for your 8:00 a.m. final.  

We encourage you to give yourself time to try things out. Trial and error is the only way you will come to know what is worth putting “above the fold.” A (non-exhaustive) list of miscellaneous wisdom: avoid the quad on rainy days (it doesn’t drain); you’ll probably feel better about a failed test after a walk to the Point; and make sure to check out live music at the Logan Center. You’ll learn the rest along the way. 

Finally, to returning students: Welcome back! We hope you’re starting to feel more at home. If you’ve moved off campus, we hope your apartments are amply furnished with Facebook Marketplace steals. To our fellow fourth-years especially, we look forward to checking off our bucket lists with you.  

And to those who feel like there are still corners of the University you haven’t explored, joining the Maroon is one way to get to know our school better, whether you’ve got a strong opinion about recent changes to the University’s policies that you want to share or an interest in investigating the mysteries of Hyde Park.  

We’ll be holding “hustling” sessions—our traditional term for recruitment events—on Friday, October 2 at 5:15 p.m., Monday, October 5 at 6 p.m. and Thursday, October 8 at 6:30 p.m. You can check our Instagram for more details. We hope to see you there! 

Celeste Alcalay and Anika Krishnaswamy, Editors-in-Chief 

Gabriel Kraemer and Nathaniel Rodwell-Simon, Managing Editors